Giving Your Chef or GM a Piece of the Action
Giving Your Chef or GM a Piece of the Action By Andreas Koutsoudakis, Partner | Hospitality and Restaurant Law Equity, Profits Interests, and Phantom Stock for Key Restaurant Staff Your chef, your GM, your beverage director. These are the people who can make or break your restaurant. So sooner or later, just about every owner […]
Saving Your Lease, Saving Your Restaurant
Saving Your Lease, Saving Your Restaurant By Andreas Koutsoudakis, Partner | Hospitality and Restaurant Law Handling New York Commercial Leases in Bankruptcy For most New York restaurants, the lease is the business. You can change the menu, rebrand, or swap out equipment—but if you lose the right space, at the wrong time, the restaurant may […]
The Clean Exit
The Clean Exit By Andreas Koutsoudakis, Partner | Hospitality and Restaurant Law Using a Section 363 Sale to Resolve an SBA EIDL Loan—and Release the Personal Guarantor Here is the situation I see again and again. A business owner took out an SBA COVID EIDL loan to survive the pandemic. The loan was large enough […]
Bringing in Money the Right Way
Bringing in Money the Right Way By Andreas Koutsoudakis, Partner | Hospitality and Restaurant Law Raising Capital from Friends, Family, and Private Investors for Your Restaurant Most independent restaurants aren’t funded by banks or venture capital. They’re funded by some combination of the owner’s savings, money from friends and family, and a handful of private […]
New York Hospitality Law: A Six-Month Update
New York Hospitality Law: A Six-Month Update By Andreas Koutsoudakis, Partner | Hospitality and Restaurant Law A Special Report · New York Hospitality Law – What Moved, What It Means, and What to Do This Week. Between November 2025 and May 2026, four things moved in New York hospitality law that change how operators should […]
The SBA COVID EIDL Default Wave
The SBA COVID EIDL Default Wave By Andreas Koutsoudakis, Partner | Hospitality and Restaurant Law A Special Report · Small Business Credit – What Borrowers Need to Know in 2026. If you took out an SBA COVID Economic Injury Disaster Loan — particularly one over $200,000 where you signed a personal guaranty — there is […]
Venting, Grease Traps, and Noisy Neighbors
Venting, Grease Traps, and Noisy Neighbors By Andreas Koutsoudakis, Partner | Hospitality and Restaurant Law The Mechanical and Infrastructure Provisions Every NYC Restaurant Lease Must Address Every restaurant needs to cook, and cooking produces exhaust, grease, and noise. In New York City, the mechanical systems that handle these byproducts—venting, grease traps, and sound attenuation—are among […]
Protecting Your Interests During Ownership Changes in Your Restaurant
Protecting Your Interests During Ownership Changes in Your Restaurant By Andreas Koutsoudakis, Partner | Hospitality and Restaurant Law How to Navigate Partner Exits, Buyouts, and New Investment Without Losing Control Ownership changes are inevitable in the lifecycle of most restaurant businesses. A partner retires, a buyout closes, a new investor comes in, a divorce forces […]
Build-Out Provisions in NYC Restaurant Leases
Build-Out Provisions in NYC Restaurant Leases By Andreas Koutsoudakis, Partner | Hospitality and Restaurant Law Work Letters, TI Allowances, and the Provisions That Protect Your Construction Budget Building out a restaurant space in New York City is one of the most expensive and legally complex phases of any restaurant deal. The lease provisions that govern […]
Use Clauses, Exclusives, and Operating Restrictions in NYC Restaurant Leases
Use Clauses, Exclusives, and Operating Restrictions in NYC Restaurant Leases By Andreas Koutsoudakis, Partner | Hospitality and Restaurant Law What Your Lease Says You Can Do — and What It Doesn’t The use clause is one of the most consequential provisions in any restaurant lease—and one of the most overlooked during negotiations. I’ve seen restaurant […]